Hope Beyond the Walls of the World: Psalm 126

 

Hope Beyond the Walls of the World

Psalm 126

…where tears are the very wine of blessedness.
Tolkien 

Psalm 126 continues the Psalms of Ascent as part of book five of the Psalms, which emphasizes living in obedience and by faith to the King, who reigns “when all of the evidence of life appears to contradict the truth” (Futato). Psalm 126 expresses the Isrealites’ gratefulness for the Lord fulfilling His promise to return them to their land after the exile. While living in exile they had experienced great sorrow, and yet they knew of the promises that God had made to return them to their own land (Isaiah 14:1-3). So when the Lord finally brought them back from exile, they “were like those who dream” (126:1), and they were “filled with joy” (126:3 NIV). However, this psalm is also a prayer for His continued blessing while they wait, as things are not yet as they ought to be. Their fortunes were not yet restored (126:4), and they were deeply dependent on God’s blessing for the fruitfulness of their crops. Psalm 126 is both a rejoicing in the goodness of God, and the desire for Him to restore all that has been lost. This is a wonderful parallel to the Christian life. We too rejoice in that we have been freed from bondage to sin and the power of Satan because of Christ, but we still wait in eager expectation and sometimes sorrowful longing while we wait for the restoration of all things. 

The Hope of Restoration and Glory


The new heavens and the new earth are not “just a compensation for all we have lost, but a restoration of the world” and us. No longer will we and the world be in a weakened and imperfect condition, but rather we will be made new, unimpaired and unhindered by the Fall. And this truth changes everything about suffering and the sorrowful (at times) longing we have. There are glories awaiting us, as believers, far beyond our comprehension. With our finite minds we try to imagine what can only be known in the infinite. We can get glimpses now of the incredible realities that await us in eternity. Yet “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬). If we spent our entire lives strengthening our imagination by taking in the beauty, creativity, joy, and spiritual truth that we can experience in this world, the glory awaiting us is far greater still. Tolkien described our Christian hope as a “hope beyond the walls of the world.” For myself, this makes me consider that between this world and eternity, there is a wall. And beyond that wall, our glorious hope awaits us. So how do we see beyond the wall while we spend our days on this side of it?

A Window to Our Hope 


I like to think of God’s promises in His Word as windows through which we gain greater glimpses of the hope that lies ahead for us. One in particular that I love is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.  

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (NASBS).

Paul shares wondrous hope in this passage. Focusing on verse 17, Paul describes our affliction as momentary and light, meaning it passes quickly into and out of existence. It is transitory, light, easy to bear. These may seem to be shocking words to a sufferer. But Paul is not denying the difficulty of suffering. After all, in 2 Corinthians, he described his suffering as being “burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.” So Paul is not trying to downplay or minimize our suffering. He is intimately acquainted with the painful experiences of this life. It’s the comparison he makes which enables him to see affliction as momentary and light. 

Paul goes on to say that our affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory. Notice the contrasting words. Momentary and eternal. Light and weight. Affliction and glory. And it is a comparison to the highest possible degree: far beyond all comparison. Our affliction is light in comparison to the weight of eternal glory in its fullness and abundance. Our affliction is momentary in comparison to the eternality of the “exalted state of blissful perfection which is the portion of those who dwell with God in heaven” (Zodhiates). The affliction we experience here will be replaced with glory there. And not just that, our affliction, which grieves us now, is at the same time working for our eternal joy. Suffering is a servant to our glorious, eternal joy. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy (Psalm 126:5)! The sufferings of this world enhance the joy that is to come. Tears, affliction, sorrow, grief, hardship, and loneliness are actually blessings to the believer because they are producing for us a glory that is to come. A glory that is enhanced by the sufferings we have endured in this world. A glory made sweeter by the sorrows. A glory that gives greater joy because we have tasted and known grief. 

This is what I think of when I read Psalm 126. They rejoiced in all the good the Lord had done, and they looked ahead in hope that the one “who goes out weeping…shall come home with shouts of joy” (126:6). And like them, the Lord has done great things for us, and will do great things for us. And we are glad and will be filled with joy for all of eternity. Therefore, while we wait, we will not lose heart. Even in our present afflictions. By faith we turn our eyes away from the temporal afflictions and sufferings that we can see, and instead look to the things that are ours, which cannot be seen but are eternal. We want to use truths from Psalm 126 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, and many more, as windows to help us see beyond the walls of our pain, beyond the very walls of this world, to see the unseen, eternal things. And in so doing we will be able to persevere. Our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with joyful shouting. “In order then that joy may succeed our present sorrow, let us learn to apply our minds to the contemplation of the issue which God promises...that God not only will wipe away tears from their eyes, but that he will also diffuse inconceivable joy through their hearts” (Calvin). 

Let’s pray through Psalm 126 for renewed hope and joyful longing for the restoration of all things and the glory which will be ours in eternity. 

126:1-3 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. 
Lord, I pray:
▫️I am so grateful for how You rescued me from sin and the domain of darkness and brought me into Your marvelous light (1 Peter1:9). You redeemed me with the precious blood of Christ, justified me in Him, clothed me in His perfect righteousness, and now I can call You Father. 
▫️You have given me a deep and abiding joy. A joy that cannot be lost, although at times when I am suffering, it can be hard to see beyond the current moment. Give me the spiritual eyes to see what is unseen and eternal. Deepen within me the knowledge of all the great things You have done for me so that I am filled with joy.
▫️Today let my mouth be filled with laughter and my tongue with shouts of joy. Let Your joy radiate from my face so that others see You in me. Despite the sorrow of this world, I can have a noticeable joy that cannot be taken away. Help my joy to cause others to ask me about the hope that is within me, and make me ready to share the reason for my hope with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).

126:4-6 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Lord, I pray:
▫️I am eagerly anticipating when You will bring about a full and complete restoration of all things in the new heavens and the new earth. Where pain and sorrow have been washed away, and grief is no more. All has been swallowed up in eternal joy. While we wait for that day, pour out Your blessings upon me so that I may know You more and walk more closely with You.
▫️Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Help me cling to the promises that my affliction is truly light and momentary in comparison to the eternal weight of glory which You are preparing for me. This suffering that I am enduring now is working for my eternal good. You will wipe away these tears and lead me to everlasting joy.
▫️Those who go out weeping will one day return with shouts of joy. In days of grief and sorrow, help me to remember that they are transient. You will wipe away every tear from my eyes. The grief and sorrow I experience here will be redeemed. The glory there will be made sweeter by these sorrows. Inconceivable joy will be diffused through my heart. Use these truths to help me see beyond the walls of my suffering and beyond the walls of the world and increase my longing to see You return in Your glory.
‭‭
May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.

Photo credit to danielmirlea

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